Unmarriageable(91)
Nona flicked a raisin at him. ‘Let’s not canonise Valentine Darsee just yet. There is still the matter of Wickaam’s accusations. However, I must say, even I was surprised by how nice he seems.’
‘It’s my fault,’ Alys said unhappily. ‘I’ve always said one’s opinion regarding anyone is only as good as how one is treated, but I confess, I’m to blame for the generally unfavourable impression of Darsee. I was biased after hearing him say mean things about me in private to Bungles. That, in turn, affected everyone’s perception of him.’
‘But Wickaam?’ Nona said. ‘Darsee certainly does not seem the type to go around stealing inheritances. But, then, Goga didn’t seem the type either.’
‘In Darsee’s case,’ Alys said, blushing, ‘I have it on good authority that Wickaam is lying about the whole inheritance thing.’
‘What!’ Nona and Nisar cried out simultaneously.
‘I can’t tell you how I know,’ Alys added wretchedly, ‘but trust me when I say that Wickaam is a liar and a deceiver and Darsee is innocent.’
‘We trust you,’ Nona and Nisar said. ‘But are you positive?’
Alys nodded.
Nisar whistled.
‘Well, well,’ Nona said, raising her brows. ‘Alys, the innocent Darsee’s attentiveness to us is due to you. He certainly seems to like you.’
Alys stared at the black pepper sprinkled on her scrambled eggs. ‘He just likes that we’ve both lived abroad and that I actually read and don’t just pretend to in order to come across as intellectual or unique. That’s all it is, Aunty Nona. No need to give me that look.’
Alys and Nona spent the afternoon at Liberty Market, going from boutique to boutique and checking out what new designs people were spending good money on. They also visited Redmon Book Gallery, where Alys spent her own good money. In fact, throwing guilt aside, she splurged. She leapt on a fresh copy of Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place and also bought Leila Ahmed’s A Border Passage, Jessie Fauset’s Plum Bun, Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, and Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, which she knew Qitty would love to read too, and Mari would appreciate the pretty arabesque booklet with all of God’s ninety-nine names explained.
They returned home well in time to get dressed for the play. Even fussing over attire was fun. Nisar settled on a smart shalwar kurta. Nona wore slacks and a floral blouse with a lapis necklace. Alys decided on a black peshwas with a black paisley print and mirrored bodice, matching dupatta and thang pyjamas, black heels and accessories from Nona’s silver jewellery, which she preferred to her mother’s gold and precious stones.
Ajmer dropped them off at the main entrance to the Alhamra Art Centre and then drove to the car park to wait. The play was in Hall One. Darsee was waiting for them in the entrance with their tickets. He looked good, Alys couldn’t help noting, in charcoal trousers and a slim-fit black shirt. He greeted them as if they’d all been best friends forever, even Babur, who, upon Darsee’s enquiry, informed him that he’d got into Cornell University and been offered a scholarship. Alys had not thought she could be any prouder of her cousin, but the look on Darsee’s face proved her wrong.
They climbed up the circular stairs to the vast auditorium and stepped inside the carpeted amphitheatre. Their seats were near the stage, and as they wound their way down the aisles, Darsee, Nona, and Nisar stopped to greet friends. When they finally reached their row, Alys saw that Bungles and his sisters were already seated. Bungles jumped up as soon as he saw Alys, his entire face a smile. He stepped over many toes to meet her and greeted her with such warmth that Alys almost forgot his weak will. She was delighted to see Hammy and Sammy looking ready to faint at her reappearance in their lives.
In order to annoy the sisters further, Alys hailed Bungles with jubilant camaraderie, even as she merely waved from the aisle at the sisters and Jaans, who was complaining loudly about being dragged here when he would have much preferred the invite to a weekend of boar hunting.
Alys was thrilled to see Juju stepping over shoes to welcome her with a giant hug. As Alys hugged her back, she caught Hammy squinting at Sammy. Good. Let her fret. Alys was also very happy to hear Juju use the tag ‘bhai’ – brother – when she addressed Bungles. It was clear that the two shared nothing but a sibling-like camaraderie.
Darsee introduced Nona as the proprietress of Nona’s Nices. Sammy shrieked. She loved Nona’s Nices cakes! She congratulated Nona on the upcoming Indus Civilization Award. She and Hammy had received an award last year for their sanitary-napkins company, and this year they were presenters and had been sent the list of recipients. Hammy advised Nona not to be nervous during her thank-you speech, despite how prestigious an award the Indus Civilization was. After all, wonderful women like them deserved every accolade they received.
The second Hammy and Sammy became cognisant of Nisar and Nona’s relationship to Alys, their expressions soured. Alys was sure that the prestige of the Indus Civilization Award must have fallen accordingly. Neither Nona nor Nisar missed the dynamics, and they were most bemused by the fluctuations in their social status. Babur too was mistaken for a somebody at first, and then his star also fell, only to be back on the rise at the mention of Cornell, though Hammy and Sammy looked as if they were about to ask to see his acceptance letter.